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Minimalist Footwear Thread

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Chrisull
Chrisull
Mar 2023
10:09am, 14 Mar 2023
19,965 posts
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Chrisull
Oh the Duel Sonic 2's were ok, but I've worn through the sole now in 6 months, so not ideal. It's like c'mon I'm sub 70kg, I can't be dealing out that much punishment can I?
Chrisull
Chrisull
Mar 2023
2:45pm, 14 Mar 2023
19,970 posts
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Chrisull
First run in Vapor gloves - very instructive, suddenly understand why and how I knocked 3 minutes off my 10k time in 1 month, 11 years ago. (Ok some will have been course/form, but not all, I had been knocking on the sub 40 door all that year and getting not that close, it was the shoes - despite plenty of naysayers on fetch at the time, and I can tell them now - they were wrong :-) ).

I can feel immediately in the Vapor gloves that I have to adjust my running form quite substantially, club colleagues have told me before I seem to be quite "high" and a seemingly wasteful stride, in the flats immediately I modify my stride because it is just too jarring to go high. I feel like I adjust to push forwards rather than high.

Also my stride is reduced ( between 3 to 5cm shorter on the other runs on same route), my cadence can increase but not always - and not massively by 1-2 spm, but this is probably down to effort. Ok this is all obvious also arguably there are studies saying that reducing stride and increasing cadence by just a little is usually the most energy efficient place to be ( I don't have the link I read it years ago), but I definitely run on my glutes more - I can feel it after a hard bike ride yesterday, it's my glutes that are being activated, just like walking barefoot over a gravel beach.

I also put in a more even effort than usual, because I don't disassociate as much, I have to concentrate more on where my next stride is going because if I heel strike on a pebble it hurts. This counteracts my natural running tendency to surge - go hard, ease back which isn't good. So in other words Vaporflys would probably work best for me if I could work out how to use them. But they dampen natural feedback and natural feedback is what offers *me* the most benefit.
geordiegirl
geordiegirl
Mar 2023
8:36pm, 14 Mar 2023
20,010 posts
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geordiegirl
Great observations Chrisull

I love my vapourgloves but my bunion tends to blister so I have to tape it up. Still prefer vibrams over any other shoe and quite liking the Altras, although the thick cushioning takes some getting used too.

I have some vivobarefoot for casual wear but got them in a mens size 6 (sold out in womens) and they are too big. Bought them during lockdown so couldnt manage to return them in the 90 day window. One day I'll buy another pair.
Chrisull
Chrisull
Jun 2023
9:32am, 6 Jun 2023
20,291 posts
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Chrisull
And from the Vaporfly thread, buried in an article on supershoes a very small study showing that running in flats does improve running economy quite dramatically (written by the ever excellent Alex Hutchinson):

outsideonline.com
SPR
SPR
Jun 2023
9:40am, 6 Jun 2023
40,761 posts
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SPR
Running sessions in flats, it wasn't all runs.
Garfield
Garfield
Jun 2023
11:57am, 6 Jun 2023
17,334 posts
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Garfield
I tend to run more efficiently in my more minimal shoes than my cushioned shoes (kept for when my body decides it wants a smoother ride). When I get home again, I'll see how I get on with my Vivo barefoot shoes. I found they fit quite small and narrow.
SPR
SPR
Jun 2023
12:03pm, 6 Jun 2023
40,765 posts
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SPR
It's worth being clear on what the study suggests. The suggestion is your running economy will improve over time (study was 10 weeks) by doing sessions (track work, tempo) in flats. The improvement is seen when you run in the supershoes as well though so you would still race in supershoes if you're following the science and wanted the fastest race time, you just train in flats to get the improvement for the race.
Garfield
Garfield
Jun 2023
12:09pm, 6 Jun 2023
17,335 posts
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Garfield
That makes sense...the minimal shoes strengthen the feet and legs and then that is transferred to the other shoes for racing. My running doesn't justify paying out for supershoes!!
SPR
SPR
Jun 2023
12:20pm, 6 Jun 2023
40,767 posts
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SPR
Yeah, I definitely interested in a more full scale study. It's encouraging that not wearing supershoes might be positive from a training perspective even if it isn't from a racing perspective.
jacdaw
jacdaw
Aug 2023
6:00pm, 2 Aug 2023
3,989 posts
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jacdaw
Anybody tried VJ Sport shoes (esp. Spark or Xtrm 2)? Are they minimal? Do they have a wide forefoot?

I can't find a decent trail / fell shoe without a thick stiff midsole. I really need a flexible shoe. I don't want any cushioning, and I would like a wide forefoot and a soft heel counter. Off road Altras don't work for me, and seem to be heading off into Hoka territory. There aren't many minimal inov8s, and my last pair fell apart at a critical moment. Not convinced by Topos.

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Maintained by Dipper
A place where all efficient schools of running can come together and discussing minimalist footwear.

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